Unfortunate Soul
by LeisaTheGreat
Summary: Naruto has failed the people he loves one too many times...now all he wants is to make it right. However, a strange woman crosses his path at that very moment...and her intentions are less than honorable. What will Naruto do when she offers to 'help him? And why is the kyuubi so scared of her?
1. A Knife in the Back

_**Unfortunate Soul**_

**A/N: This fanfiction was LOOSELY inspired by "Poor Unfortunate Souls" from the Little Mermaid but it is NOT a songfic! However, the actual "song-inspired" portion does not come until later. Enjoy! :)**

_**Chapter One**_

"Come out, come out where you are..." The darkly clad man smirks as he passes below her hiding spot for the fifth time. He knew she was close...

Sakura closes her eyes, taking a silent breath to steady her. _Where are they?_ She demands. _Come on you guys...I distract him forever!_

The rouge ninja paces below her again and he started chuckling as he, lazily, scans the shadows for signs of movement. "Are you scared, little girl?" He calls. "Why're you hiding?" A kunai twirls on his finger as he glances behind a stack of crates against the wall of his warehouse hideout. He had no idea how these Leaf ninja had managed to find him. The place had been abandoned for years.

The kunoichi glares at him from her perch on the ceiling. _It's a good thing I'm the distraction and not Naruto...he would just get angry if someone taunted him like this...then who knows what would happen. _

Almost as if her teammate had heard her, the door suddenly bursts open. Twenty, long beams of wood pour inside and soar straight for the rouge. He, somehow, manages to dodge them, landing against the wall opposite from Sakura.

_He's too far._ She decides. _I won't be able to reach him._ Still, she pulls a kunai and tenses to attack. But she doesn't get the chance.

From somewhere in the inky darkness, a high pitched whirling noise breaks the air. A blinding blue light severs the shadows as an orange flash zips past Sakura. "RASENGAN!" The swirling blue sphere of chakra slams into the rouge's chest, sending him flying into the opposite wall. Blood trickles down his chin before he goes limp.

Sakura drops down from the ceiling, grinning at her teammates. "Took you two long enough." She says.

Yamato nods, apologetically. "We got a little held up. We met another enemy in the woods on the way here." He explains.

Immediately, her inner medic kicks into full throttle. "Are you hurt?" She asks both of them.

"No." Naruto strolls over to them, casually rotating his shoulder.

"That's a first." Sakura says, smirking. Earning her an annoyed glare from the blonde.

"I don't always get hurt!" He protests.

"Yes you do."

"Nuh-uh!"

"Okay, okay you two. No time for fighting." Yamato sighs. "We should get this man back to the village before he wakes up."

"Right." Sakura says. "If you'd like, I can sedate him."

"That won't be necessary. Naruto's attack did a number on him."

The blonde sticks his tongue out at her and jumps away to avoid a blow of her fist to his head, giggling childishly. But suddenly, a thought occurs to the young Jinchuuriki. "Hey, Captain Yamato..." He begins.

"Hm?"

"Didn't Granny Tsunade say there was a bunch of rouge ninja hiding out here. We only found two..." He says, folding his arms. "Shouldn't there be more of them?"

Just then, a ear-shattering scream wrips from Sakura's throat. Her head snaps back in pain and she sees stars before her eyes. An odd warmth trickles down her back from where the kunai has sunk into her skin.


	2. Guilty

_**Chapter Two**_

"AGHH!" Sakura cries out in pain as the kunai is buried into the center of her back. Her knees buckle but Naruto catches her shoulders before she can fall. The blonde turns her over, slightly to inspect the wound.

His heart leaps into his throat when he sees the blood. The thick, crimson liquid gushes over his hands and soaks through her shirt, staining it almost black. "Sakura!" He gasps.

Yamato swears, loudly and pulls a kunai. "Who's there?!" He demands, turning in a slow circle as he tries to find their opponent. Dark laughter fills the empty warehouse as three more figures appear at the doorway.

"What?" One of them, a tall and rather imposing man, asks. "Did we catch you off guard?" He teases.

"It's too bad..." Another remarks. "That such a pretty little thing has to die..."

The last one snickers in agreeance. "We coulda' had some fun with her-"

But his words are interrupted when the air is suddenly flooded with a dark energy, so hot the ground sizzles around its source. Naruto props Sakura against a wall to let her heal herself. "You sickos..." He snarls as another pulse of chakra assults the air.

_No, not now!_ Yamato tenses, his DNA burning with the closeness of the demon's chakra. _Naruto, contain it!_ He silently urges. _This isn't right. Don't give into the kyuubi!_

But Naruto doesn't think about right and wrong at that moment. All he cared about was killing the ones who had hurt Sakura. Another burst of evil chakra fills his veins and soon, he forgets _why_ he wants to kill them...only that he really _really_ wants to. He smirks. "I'm gonna enjoy this..." His voice was uncharacteristically rough, almost like a growl.

And within a split second, he's on them.

Naruto's nails had grown into full-length claws, itching to be ripped through his enemy's flesh. His blood red eyes scan the three men, trying to decide who to kill first. He almost craved death at this point...

"Naruto!" Sakura shouts, desperately. Her eyes watering in panic at the sight of her teammate engulfed in a cloak of bubbling, red chakra. "Calm down! I'm okay! There's no need to-"

_SLICE!_

Blood splatters across the floor as the Jinchuuriki's claws tear through his first victim. Screams follow not to far behind.

_RIP!_

"He's a monster!" One of them scream as he tries to flee.

"He'll kill us!"

"RUN!"

Naruto's lips curl into a bloodthisty smirk when he sees them running for their lives. His eyes glow, dangerously in the darkness. "What...?" He growls. And now his voice sounds entirely different. He didn't even sound like Naruto any more. "Did I scare you?"

"Naruto!" Sakura calls again, forcing herself to her wobbly feet.

He turns, slowly.

A chill runs down her spine when his eyes fall on her. He wasn't calming down. The enemy was long gone and, surely enough, the kyuubi refused to give up its hold on his host's mind.

"Captain Yamato." She says, evenly. A pang goes through her when she realizes she's treating Naruto a little like a wild animal. Speaking calmy and not moving...yep. Just like he's a furious lion ready to pounce, instead of her bubbly, outgoing best friend.

"Right." He weaves a quick handsign before slamming his hands to the ground.

But, at that moment, kyuubi decides he's not giving Naruto up without a fight. Naruto hisses in pain as more chakra floods his body. He charges toward Sakura.

_**Kill her, kill her, kill her, kill her, kill her! **_The fox demands.

And Naruto, mindlessly, obeys. Too distracted by the delicious power coursing through him to pay much attention to what the fox was making his body do.

That is, untill...

"_NARUTO!_"

The real Naruto snaps back to reality just in time to his own fist connect with Sakura's jaw, knocking her back into the wall with a heavy thud. Wooden beams snake around him just a second too late.

"Sa...Sakura...?"


	3. A Chance Encounter

_**Chapter Three**_

"Sa...Sakura?" Naruto stares at her with horror in his crimson eyes.

She pulls herself off the ground, wiping the blood from her cheek.

"I-I...Sakura I'm-" He stammers, unable to form a coherent sentence. _What have I done?! _He winces at the sight of his teammate's blood caked across his knuckles.

Sakura shakes her head, slowly but doesn't look at him. "Naruto, it's okay." She says, gently. "It wasn't you."

The cloak of chakra was now entirely gone. The blonde's exhausted body trembles with the threat of collapsing. "I...I'm..." He stutters again. "I'm so sorry!" Finally, he lets his legs buckle, disguising it as an attempt to kneel beside her. He watches her expression, closely.

"I said it's okay." She tells him, her emerald eyes still on the ground.

_Then why won't you look at me?!_ His teeth grind in frusteration and self-loathing. "Are you okay...?" He asks, gingerly turning her face to him so he can inspect the wound. It wasn't bad, just a some scraped skin but...still... _I hurt Sakura..._ It was the only thing he could really focus on. _I hurt her...I HIT Sakura..._

"You were just trying to protect me." She says. "It just got a little...out of control. That's all." Finally, she meets his eyes. Frowning when she sees the desperate agony in his two dark sapphires. "Don't beat yourself up over it." She tells him, smiling slightly.

He sighs deeply, dropping his head. "...yeah."

"Well, if you two are both okay, we should get going." Yamato says, striding over to them. "Sakura?"

The rosette nods. "I'm fine. My stab wound is healed."

"Naruto?" Yamato asks.

"Tsk." The blonde stands up, expertly hiding his exhaustion. "_I'm_ okay." He says, flashing a knowing look at Sakura. He was convinced she was more hurt than she showed. But, really, what could he say to prove her wrong? If he said anymore, she would just insist that she is okay. Plus, he wanted to forget that ever happened...He would be happy if he never had to think about it again.

"Alright then." Yamato weaves a sign and slams his hands to the ground again. A single column of wood curls around their unconscious captives, binding them together. "We can head back to Konoha now."

_**-xXx-**_

__The trip home was ucharacteristically quiet. Especially since they were in the company of Konoha's number one knuckle-headed ninja...who was currently staring off into space, a deep frown on his sun-kissed face. The only sounds being the chirps of songbirds and the crunch of grass below their sandles.

They weren't even halfway home and it already felt as if Sakura would rip her hair out if someone didn't say _something_ soon. She simply wasn't use to not hearing Naruto's voice as they walked home. In all honesty, he could be really annoying sometimes but it was comforting to hear him chatting, happily.

Now, with all this silence and nothing to kill it, she felt suffocated.

Maybe it was this same deafening silence that originally drew his attention to it. Or perhaps it was the odd squirming in his stomach...but, for whatever reason, Naruto was suddenly extremely aware that they weren't alone on the narrow dirt trail.

Snapping back into reality, he jogs a bit ahead of the rest of the group. Turning in a quick circle, trying to identify who's chakra he'd sensed just then. It hadn't felt particularly mencaing so he didn't think they were under attack. He was simply curious why the feeling of it had made his skin crawl...and why the kyuubi seemed to be cowering away from it, crawling back further into its cage.

As he gets to the top of a hill, he spots her.

"Naruto, what are you doing?" Sakura calls after him.

"Did you feel that?" He asks, just to be sure.

"Huh? Feel what?"

He frowns. _I thought so...something's up._ "You really didn't feel that chakra just now?"

"No." Sakura looks at Yamato. "Did you, Captain?"

"No." Yamato hurries to catch up to Naruto. "What are you looking at?"

"Down there." The blonde points at a small figure, moving in their direction from the bottom of the hill. "Whoever that is, I felt their chakra just now."

"So?" Sakura asks, now that she had also joined them. "Why is that a big deal?"

He hesitates, not sure of how to put it into words. "Their chakra...is affecting the kyuubi somehow."

Sakura goes stiff.

"How do you mean?" Yamato asks, suddenly all business.

"Nothing serious." He says, quickly. "But I think...the fox might be afraid of...whoever that is." He feels another twinge within his stomach, but an angry one. The demon was scolding him for telling them that he was afraid. Naruto can't help but smirk at having annoyed the fox.

"Afraid?" Sakura asks, watching intently as the figure draws closer.

"Yeah, definately." Another twinge. _Hey, relax. No one is gonna think any less of you for being afraid. You're still the infamous "Nine tailed Demon Fox"...So just chill out. _Naruto barks inside his head, half-heartedly wondering if his inner demon can actually hear his thoughts. He flinches at the idea.

"Well if that's the case, maybe we should avoid them..." Yamato suggests. "We don't want to upset the kyuubi."

"Hmph, speak for yourself." Naruto grumbles. He couldn't think of anything more he wanted to do at that moment. That fox was a pest, he deserved a little annoyance every one in a while.

The figure, who turns out to be an old woman, trudges up the hill. On her decrepid back is a large wooden box, pulled over her shoulders with leather straps.

"Huh?" Naruto leans forward, his eyes caught by the little tags and trinkets dangling off the sides of the crate. "What are those?" He wonders, out loud.

There were odd symbols as well as mantras inscribed on them. White tags belonging to some kind of forgein religion, red tassles, bells...the works. And the woman, herself, was decked out in strange clothing. Pretty much a mish-mash of random clothing items. From a formal kimono, to casual sandles and forgein beaded earrings.

_What's up with her?_ Sakura asks herself. _She looks like some kind of traveling circus in all that getup..._

_That box..._ Yamato stares at the planked crate on the woman's back. _There's something strange about it._

"Nn!" Naruto gasps, clutching his stomach as the kyuubi gives another violent thrash, causing his innards to cramp up, rather painfully.

A gentle hand touches his shoulder, undoubtfully Sakura's...

"Are you okay?" She whispers, her eyes never leaving the foreboding old woman.

"Y-yeah..." He says, nodding. "But kyuubi isn't very happy right now..."

"We should leave." She says.

"I guess so..." He finally agrees. "Let's-"

"Excuse me," A frail, old voice says behind them just as they are about to leave. "Could you give me a hand with this." She says, smiling strangely.


	4. The Exorcist Named Chiasa

_**Chapter Four**_

"Excuse me, could you give me a hand with this?"

"Huh?" Naruto turns around to face the old lady. She smiles, sheepishly at him and motions to the large crate on her back.

"I hate to be a burden but...it's very heavy. And my home isn't too far from here..." She mumbles. "So...would you?"

"Uh..." What was he supposed to say? No? "Sure. I guess."

Naruto plainly hears Sakura's teeth grit together when he agrees to help the woman. Sakura obviously didn't trust her. _I don't know why. _Naruto decides. _She seems pretty okay...just because her chakra is a little odd doesn't make her bad. Right?_

"Oh, thank you!" She says, shrugging the box off her back.

"Um, no problem." Naruto smirks and takes it from her. He tenses, half expecting something bad to happen. The only thing he feels is a slight tingle in his gut from the fox cowering back into its cage again. _Hmm, maybe this lady is more good than bad, after all._ He grins to himsef and pulls the box onto his back.

"My name is Chiasa, by the way." She says, lightly.

"I'm Naruto." The blonde motions to his companions. "This is Sakura and Captain Yamato." He tells her, earning him a small glare from them.

"Well it's nice to meet you." She smiles.

Sakura shifts her weight to the other foot, impatiently. She didn't know why but she didn't like this woman. There was something...off about her. Something she didn't quite trust. _She seems nice though..._The rosette glances at her teammates. Neither of them seemed nervous about her. _I'm probably just being paranoid..._

"Well my home is just at the bottom of this hill." Chiasa explains. "It will only take a moment."

Yamato frowns. _At the bottom of the hill? We just came from there and there was nothing-_But as they make it to the peak of the hill again, and peer down the other side..._WHAT THE-_

A small shack sits nestled amongst the trees, a thin ploom of gray smoke wafting out its red brick chimney. Chiasa motions to it while rubbing her aching back. "Thank you." She says again. "I could have never made it this far without your help."

_That's impossible!_ Yamato stares at the small building, wondering how he ever could have missed such an obvious structure. _There's no way this was here before..._

It's only then that a small wind slips over the hill, brushing the loosely attached tags all over the crate on Naruto's back. The paper slips bustle about in the breeze, brushing Naruto's arm...

"Ah!" He cries out in shock, wincing away from the odd heat on his skin.

"Hm?" Chiasa watches his reaction with a suspicious look in her coal black eyes. "What's the matter, boy?" She asks him.

"What are these things?!" He demands, rubbing the spot on his arm that suddenly felt sore and tender. As if it had been scolded by steam.

"Supressors." She shrugs. "Used to suppress demons."

"Demons?" Yamato asks her.

"Yes, most folks nowadays don't believe in them. But I do. I make a living off of their existance." She explains, rather cryptically.

"How so?" Sakura grumbles, folding her arms.

"I am an exorcist." Chiasa says. "It's my duty to rid people of demons."


	5. Kindred Spirit?

_**Chapter Five**_

"I'm an exorcist," The old woman tells them, nonchalantly. "I am able to rid people of demons."

"An exorcist." Sakura mutters, glancing sideways at her teammates. "So, how does that work, exactly?" She asks. "Is it a jutsu?"

"Yes, are you a kunoichi?" Yamato adds, curiously.

Chiasa grins, causing the wrinkles by her eyes deepen. "Well I never trained to be a ninja." She says. "However, it is a...oh what's the word...?"

"Kekkei genkai?" Naruto mumbles, under his breath.

"Yes! That's it! A blood-limit technique, kekkei genkai."

Naruto nods, his deep blue eyes clouded in thought. "Is it...dangerous?"

Sakura stiffens. Why was he asking her that? Surely, he wasn't actually considering... "Okay!" She snaps, quickly. "Well sorry to rush off like this but we really need to bring our captive back to the village now!" She snatches Naruto's arm and tugs him away from Chiasa. "Let's go guys!"

"Huh, wait a sec-" Naruto plants his feet, firmly into the ground.

"Right." Yamato, sensing that something was definately wrong here, grabs the blonde boy's shoulders and steers him away. "Goodbye."

Naruto stumbles as Yamato pushes him forward. _Geez, Captain Yamato..._ He grumbles to himself. _What's up with these guys?_ He looks at Sakura who is dragging him by the arm and then back to Yamato who is hovering closely, making sure Naruto keeps walking. _And suddenly I'm the captive...what the heck? I was only curious..._ But he knew exactly why his companions were being so harsh.

After all, Naruto had just succumbed to his demon and was feeling rather guilty. It _had_ occured to him that this woman may be able to free him from his curse... But, no. No, he wasn't _that_ stupid. He wasn't about to trust his life to senile old hag. No way.

He feels Sakura's grip on his hand loosen and finally drop away. When he looks up, he finds her jade eyes focused on him. She looked worried. _What could she possibly be worried about?_ He wonders.

He parts his lips to ask her but is immediately interrupted as Chiasa jobs back over to hill and yells something down to them.

Something that causes the hair on the back of Naruto's neck to stand up and goosebumps to race across his skin.

"Oh, and Naruto! Make sure to come see me when you're ready to get rid of the kyuubi!"

_**-xXx-**_

__Unlike the first half of their journey back to Konoha, the rest of Team 7's trip home was occupied, soley, on how that old hag could _possibly_ have known about the fox inside of Naruto. No one had told her. No one had even hinted! So HOW did she know?! These were the things that Sakura and Yamato obsessed over for nearly an hour and half as they trudged through the woods on the outskirts of the Hidden Leaf village.

As soon as the word 'kyuubi' had left her mouth, Sakura and Yamato had practically ripped Naruto straight off the ground and dragged him away from her. He was positive he was going to have some major bruises from that...

"Do you think she's in with the Akatsuki?" Sakura wonders, aloud.

"I don't know. She didn't seem like an S-ranked criminal to me..." Yamato says.

"Well looks can be decieving..." Sakura retorts.

"Well either way, I think we should report her to the ANBU to have her checked out. I don't trust this whole thing. How we just 'happened' to meet up with her on the way home, how her house mysteriously appeared out of nowhere...AND how she knew about the kyuubi." Yamato snaps. Naruto could easily hear the paranoia and suspicion in his captain's voice. And, somehow...it annoyed him.

The old woman had done nothing wrong. So why were they accusing her of being a criminal. For some reason it poked at Naruto's nerves. _They're treating her like scum because she's different..._ He realizes, bitterly. _Like I am..._

"Naruto." Sakura says for the third time now.

"Huh?" He snaps back to reality with a sheepish grin. "What did you say?"

The rosette sighs. "I said, we're going to Lady Tsunade about Chiasa. Are you coming with us?"

"Uhh..." _No! No way! Why would I?! She did absolutely nothing wrong! What is wrong with you people?! _"No thanks...I've got stuff to do." He grumbles, avoiding Sakura's gaze with all his might.

"Okay." Her voice sounded off. She knew he was reluctant to turn the woman in.

Just as the group arrives at the village gates, they go their seperate ways. Sakura and Yamato turn in the direction of the Hokage's mansion while Naruto goes straight for his apartment.

"I'll see you guys later." He sighs.

"Um, alright. You sure you don't wanna come?" Sakura asks him.

"I'm sure." And then he's gone, walking hurriedly away.

Sakura frowns, her forehead creased with concern. _Oh, Naruto...please don't do anything stupid._


	6. If Not for the Fox

_**Chapter Six**_

"I'll see you guys later." Naruto mumbles, turning in the direction of his apartment.

"Um, alright. You sure you don't wanna come?" Sakura asks him, worry brimming in her eyes. For some reason, she didn't think it was a good idea for him to be left alone after all that...

"I'm sure." And then he's gone, walking hurriedly away.

Sakura and Yamato stand in silence for a moment, staring after Naruto's receding form. "I'm sure he'll be okay." Yamato tells her. "He probably just feels bad for hurting you."

Sakura closes her eyes. "I sure hope that's all it is."

_**-xXx-**_

__Naruto's hand hesitates over the door knob. His fingers just barely brush the cold metal. With a reluctant, heavy sigh, he pushes the door open and steps inside his dark, empty apartment. "I'm home..." He mutters to no one.

In all honesty, he wasn't sure why he said those words each time he came home. It wasn't like there was anyone there to hear him. He was alone.

_That's not true!_ He tells himself in a fierce attempt to convince himself otherwise. _I have friends now! People I care about..._ He closes the door behind him and flicks on a light switch. He begins to walk further inside...

_ Like Sakura?_ A little voice rings in his ears.

He stops. Where had that come from? _But I hurt Sakura..._

_And Sasuke? _

_I wasn't able to save him..._

_ Gaara?_

_ He would have died if not for Granny Chiyo._

_ And what about Pervy Sage?_

Pain shoots through his chest at the thought of his late mentor. _He's dead now because of me. _Jiraiya's death had been recent and Naruto was still reeling from it. _He died trying to save me from the Akatsuki...and I couldn't do a thing for him. _Still deep in thought, Naruto trudged to his bedroom. _Sasuke was my best friend...and I was too weak to bring him back. _He flops onto the bed, burying his face in the pillow. _Gaara was a Jinchuuriki like me. He knew exactly how I felt and STILL...the only thing I could do was sit back and watch Granny Chiyo give her life to save him...Sakura is someone really important to me...and I still was unable to stop myself from injuring her..._

_ I'm just so..._

_ Weak..._

With gritting teeth and an aching heart, he sits up. Biting back the urge to scream in frusteration, he jumps off the bed and storms to the door.

_If it weren't for the fox, Pervy Sage wouldn't be dead._

_ If it weren't for the fox, I wouldn't have hurt Sakura._

_ If it weren't for that STUPID FOX...none of this would be happening._

_ My parents would be alive,_

_ The Akatsuki wouldn't be after me,_

_ I wouldn't have been alone..._

_ I wouldn't have had to struggle so much to get strong._

_ I could have saved Sasuke,_

_ I could have saved Gaara..._

With a determined glint in his dark blue eyes, Naruto throws the door open and steps outside into the night. The darkness washing away all the color in his body, making him appear almost grey as he stands under the moon.

_I know what I have to do._


	7. Escape and Arrival

_**Chapter Seven**_

**-xXx-**

**A/N: Hey guys :) Just a quick apology. I hadn't realized how agonizingly short my chapters really were! TT_TT So I am going to try making them a bit longer :D Sorry if it was bothering you LOL**

**-xXx-**

_I know what I need to do._

Naruto slinks out of his apartment, casting a quick glance in all directions before proceeding. Right, left, above, below...He was in the clear for now. Making sure to stick to the shadows, he drops over the railing that lines the metal staircase outside his door and lands, silently, on the balls of his feet. Once more. Right, left, above...alone. Sucking in a small breath, he sprints across the street and ducks behind a fence.

It's only when he carefully rounds another corner, that the thought of leaving sends a pang through him. Right there, across the road from Ichiraku's...the lights in Sakura's house were still on.

_It's late, I wonder why she's still up._ He wonders, numbly. Then, shaking his head, he reminds himself why he's leaving in the first place. _I'll be back, Sakura. That's a promise._ And then he makes a beeline for the village gates.

_**-xXx-**_

__The narrow path was completely empty. No one was stationed at the gaurd post. The gates were wide open, almost embracing his escape. _Why is no one on watch?_ He frowns to himself. _That can't be safe...someone could sneak in!_

_ Or sneak out..._

He pushes the thought away, noislessly cursing himself for his over-active mind. _I've made my desicion. _ He tells himself. _And I'm not backing down now._ So, without another moment's hesitation, he slips around the corner and hurries for the gates.

"Stop."

Naruto nearly cries out at the sound of the voice. A hot pang of terror strikes his chest as he skids to a halt. He spins around to face whoever had spoken, only to become even more horrified.

A tall man, wearing an ANBU mask stands before him. His arms are crossed, looking impatient and suspicious even while his face is covered. "What's your business?" He demands.

"Uhh..." Naruto racks his mind for an excuse he hadn't bothered to come up with. He had assumed he would get out without a hitch... _So that's why there's no one on gaurd duty. The Foundation must take care of that at night..._ "I'm running an errand for Grandma Tsunade..." He lies, quickly.

"An errand?" The masked man asks.

"Yep!" Naruto laughs, nervously. Scratching the back of his neck. "I won't be gone long..." He assures the ANBU.

"What's your name?" He asks, suddenly.

_Why does he need my name?_ Naruto frets. "Naruto Uzuamki..."

The ANBU man twitches slightly, drawing in a small gasp.

_Oh man! Now I've done it!_

"O-of course! Sorry, I didn't recognize you." He stammers, awkwardly.

Naruto recoils in shock. "Huh?" _Oh, right. I'm the village hero..._

"You can go." The ANBU says, motioning for the gates.

Naruto nods, jerkily and thanks him before sprinting for out of the village. His legs carrying him faster than ever before. He doesn't stop running until it hurts to breathe and his legs are screaming in protest for him to stop.

"_Huff, huff, huff!_" He doubles over, supporting himself on his quivering knees as sweat drips down his forehead. It takes him a while to fully recover from his mad sprint away from home, and by the time he is no longer panting like a dog, he realizes he hadn't been paying attention to where he was going. Snapping up, he turns a full circle. "Shoot..." He grumbles. "Where the heck am I?" The only response he recieves is the hoot from an owl in the distance.

_**-xXx-**_

__The small back room of her hut is dark and hot. There is no furniture within save a large, black pot which is suspended above a roaring fire by a pair of iron pegs. All over the floors and walls are strange markings, seemingly scrawled in blood. Their words are illegible, unreadable by an untrained eye. But to her, they make all the sense in the world. To her, they remind her why she craves his death. They are promises and prophcies written in blood.

An old woman with dark gray hair and coal colored eyes sits on the floor of the room, humming a tune under her breath while she waits. She isn't sure what she is waiting for...but she has a hunch. And her hunches are usually right.

_It won't be long now..._ She tells herself. _Their deaths won't be in vain for much longer. That boy will, undoubtably, come find me sometime soon. After that...well...it's only a matter of gaining his trust. And then..._ A crooked, strange smile lights her ancient face. _The Fox is mine for the taking._

_ And then that accursed Leaf Village will pay for what it has done to me._

_**-xXx-**_

__It had taken much longer than expected for Naruto to find his way back onto the main road. By that time, the horizon was already a deepening shade of purple. Soon, the sun would rise and he would be discovered missing. If he was really going to do this, he had to hurry.

Within minutes, he finds himself at the opposite side of the hill where he had first run into Chiasa. Almost as if the Fox could tell what his plans were, Naruto feels him squirming inside his stomach. It made him feel sick. Placing a hand over the seal on his naval, Naruto mutters, "Just relax. I'm sure the old lady has a nice, comfy jar to seal you in or something..." He smirks at his own joke but yelps, quietly, when the Fox slams his claws into the metaphorical gate. "Either way, you're not stopping me. So just get used to the idea." He continues, coldly. "You've done enough damage already."

By that time, he had reached the top of the hill and could, clearly, see the ploom of smoke rising from the chimney. _I'll bet she used some kind of barrier to hide her house from us at first. That's why we didn't see it before. _He frowns as something suddenly occurs to him. _She must be pretty strong to be able to create a barrier like that..._

_**-xXx-**_

__"Hmm?" Chiasa stops her humming for a moment, another odd smile creeping over her wrinkled lips. "It seems I have a visitor..." She stands up, brushing the dirt off her clothes before shrugging past the limp curtain that seperates the two rooms of her hut. She comes into the room just as he front door creaks open to reveal that same blonde boy she'd encountered on her way home.

Within him was the Nine Tailed Demon Fox...

"Hn, I was beginning to wonder when you'd show up..." She says, smiling sweetly.


	8. A Contract Signed in Blood

_**Chapter Eight**_

"I was beginning to wonder when you'd show up." Chiasa says, smiling sweetly. She brushes away the curtain and steps into the front room. "Have you decided what you want?" She asks Naruto.

The Jinchuuriki hesitates, his eyes staring at the floor. Somehow, he felt like a traitor. _I'm doing this to help the people I care about...in order to protect them. _He reminds himself, firmly. "Yes." He says. His voice shakes, slightly. He couldn't help but be nervous, especially with the Fox practically kicking and screaming for him to turn around and go home.

A wrinkled smile crosses her face again and she nods. "Good! I'm glad you've come to your sense. There's no reason for you to suffer anymore." She tells him, placing a tender hand on his shoulder. "You're doing the right thing." She assures him, gently. Her tone was even and warm, well practiced for occasions such as this.

"So..." He hesitates, not sure how to go about asking. "How does this...work?" He asks her, timidly.

Chiasa nods and lets go of his shoulder. "There are a few things I need, come." She motions for him to follow her and he obeys, silently. His eyes scanning the small hut.

There appeared to be only two rooms in total. The front room was cluttered and busy. Full of shelves and tables and counters. All stocked, to the brim, with oddly colored bottles and open, decrepid, books. There was a fine layer of dust over everything. The only piece of furniture not filthy or full of those oddities, was a small bedroll in the back corner.

Seperating the front room from the other room was a thin, purple curtain. He couldn't see past it, despite the fact it was nearly transparent with age. The other side looked...blurry. _Another barrier? _He wonders, grimly. _Why would she hide that room?_ But he doesn't have much time to be too curious because Chiasa suddenly tugs at his arm, drawing his attention back to her.

"Back here." She says, pointing to the wall.

Naruto frowns. "Back...where?" He asks, searching the blank wall for some kind of hidden door or secret passage way. It appeared entirely empty.

The old woman laughs and shakes her head, causing Naruto to flush in embrassment.

"What?" He demands.

"I'm sorry, I would have thought...being a ninja..." She shakes her head again and says, "Nevermind. Let me undo the barrier." She makes a sign with her hands and suddenly, the wall begins to warp. It seemingly melts into oblivion, revealing a door.

_So we were right...she is using barriers. But why?_

"In here." Chiasa opens the door and steps aside, allowing Naruto to go first.

He does so with another moment of slight hesitation. At this point, the Fox was making it hard to concentrate. His thrashing and shouts filled Naruto's head and stomach, making him feel slightly ill. _I'll be glad when you're gone..._He huffs and goes into the dark room.

Only a sliver of light cuts through the darkness, probably shed by a dust-caked window on the opposite wall. On the other side of the door, is another room very similar to the first. However, the items lining the shelves and tables are a bit more firmiliar to Naruto. He stops near the center and gazes around, deep in thought. "Those are sealing scrolls..." He says, nodding to a pile of unraveled scrolls on the table.

"Yes, those are what I use to seal in demons." Chiasa tells him. "Of course, those are empty."

He nods. "What do you do with the demons you seal away?" He asks her.

"Nothing, really." She shrugs. "I store them here to keep them safe. That's why all these barriers are around. So no one can find this place and steal them for their own use."

"Oh, that makes sense." A tiny smile twitches at the corner of his mouth. _See? I knew she was good. She's just trying to protect people too by hiding the demons away._

"Anyway," She says. "If you're sure about this..." She digs through a pile of scrolls and draws one out. It was larger than the rest and the binding on the front was thicker, meant to keep the information inside hidden. "All you need to do is sign this scroll."

"Huh? Why?" He asks, curiously. "What's it do?"

"By signing this blood contract, I will be given access to your chakra network. That way, I can remove the kyuubi safely with no harm done to either of you."

"I see." Naruto mutters. "Chiasa," He begins.

"Hm?"

"How did you know I was a Jinchuuriki?" He asks. "And about kyuubi?"

"Oh!" She laughs, humorfully. Her shoudlers quaking with laughter. "That's what I do! I'm an exorcist, after all." She reminds him. "I could feel the Fox's presence within you the moment I laid eyes on you."

"That's...increadible." He mumbles. "So why aren't you a ninja? With a kekkei genkai like that, you must be pretty strong."

She grins, a tiny blush lighting her cheeks. "My, my...you're embrassing me with all these compliments." She giggles in a sickly sweet kind of way before shaking her head. "I never wanted to be a ninja. It's as simple as that. Risking your life...it's not my cup of tea."

"Oh." He shrugs. "That's fine, I guess."

"So." Chiasa swipes the rest of the scrolls off the table and unrolls the blood contract. "If you're sure..."

"I am." Naruto steps forward, feeling more confident about his desicion now that he'd gotten to know her a little bit.

"Just sign here." She taps a wrinkled finger on an empty bar. "Just a little blood is all it takes."

Naruto swallows, one last pang of nervousness hitting him as he lifts his hand to his mouth. Biting his thump, a small bead of blood rises to the surface. He pinches it, willing more crimson to gush over the nail and trail down his hand. He closes his eyes, taking a breath. _With this seal, I'm making right all my mistakes. I'm atoning for the death of my teacher...injuring my friend...my weakness... _He lowers his hand to the page. _I am doing the right thing here..._ With a few quick flicks of his wrist, he scrawls his name on the page.

_**Naruto Uzumaki**_

__A dark laugh echos down the halls of Chiasa's small hut. "It is done!" She cheers, gleefully, snatching the scroll away from the table and drawing it closed.

"So...now what?" Naruto asks, sucking the last few bits of blood from his thumb so it can heal.

"Now..." She grins. "The Demon Fox belongs to me..."

**-XXXXXXXXXXX-**

_**A/N: DUN DUN DUN! XD Sorry, couldn't help myself! LOL**_


	9. The Demon's True Nature

_**Chapter Nine**_

"Now, the Demon Fox belongs to me..." Chiasa growls, smirking darkly. She clutches the contract to her chest, her shoulders vibrating with silent laughter. She lowers her face, closing her eyes as she summons the chakra coursing through her body and begins to mumble under her breath. The words are forgein and unitelligable. They make no sense to Naruto who notices an odd wamrth radiating through him.

His glances down to look at himself. His breath catches in his throat. "Wh-what the-?!" Surrounding his body was a sheen of black. Almost like he was engulfed in smoke. His knees buckle as an invisible weight crashes down over him. "Ahh..." The world spins, quickly before his eyes and soon, all he can see is darkness.

_**-xXx-**_

_** "Naruto...you fool..."**_

___"Huh?" Naruto's eyes snap open at the presence of the voice. But, somehow, he was no longer in the weird room at Chiasa's hut. Now, he was floating in murky water. Staring up at pipes that line the ceiling of his inner world. "What the...?" He sits up, water sloshing against him as he tries to stand._

_ Somewhere, deeper into the maze of blackness and dirty water, a low growl echos off the walls. The kyuubi snarls, furiously at someone. But for some reason, Naruto doesn't think it's him the Fox is growling at..._

_ A pulse of fear strikes him and he jumps to his feet. How had he gotten here? What was going on? What had Chiasa done?! He was running now, his feet pumping against the cement floor submerged beneath the water. "Chiasa!" He barks as he sprints toward the Fox's chamber. "Are you here?!" How could she be here? This was Naruto's world. Right? _

_ He skids around a corner and finds himself staring straight into the glowing crimson eyes of the Nine Tailed Fox. He freezes. Why were they so...close? A subtle creaking noise momentarily distracts him...but at the same time sends his stomach twisting into knots. A shudder runs through him._

_ "The gates are open..." He whispers to himself, as if he needed to make sure it was true. "The seal was broken..." _

_ "Of course it was!"_

_ Naruto goes stiff. "Wha-?" _

_ Chiasa giggles from where she sits, perched on top of the struggling Fox. It was only then that Naruto noticed the hazy, black chains pinning the demon to the floor._

_ "Chiasa! What's going on here?!" He demands, stomping his foot into the water again. "How are you here?!"_

_ The old woman grins, __malevolently. "Why do you seem so confused? You're the one who allowed me to come here. You signed the contract." She reminds him, a look of pure innocence on her face before it twists into an evil smirk. "Remember?"_

_ "So you're freeing the kyuubi! Why is he chained down?!"_

_ "Oh? You thought I was freeing him?" A trilling cackle breaks from her throat. "No, no...silly boy. If I do that, you might die. And then what use are you?"_

_ "What?!" He shouts._

_ There were hundreds of them. The same black chains that bind the Fox suddenly spring up from the ground, circling Naruto's body before snapping, tightly, against him. He was paralyzed. _

_ "I wonder what would happen..." Chiasa begins, slowly. Tapping her chin in thought. "If the kyuubi suddenly showed up in Konoha once again..."_

_ Naruto goes rigid. "No." He shakes his head. "You can't..."_

_ "Oh, but I can!" She cheers, gleefully. "Do you think they would run? Would they fight? Hmm? What would they think, huh? Do you think they would know tha their precious hero was dead? Or would they hold hope and wait for you?" A small, hysterical laugh cracks out again. "Little would they know...you were long gone."_

_ Naruto bites his cheek as the chains begin to tighten. He refused to cry out in pain. Not in front of this treachorous old hag!_

_ "Little would they know...the great Naruto Uzumaki...was dead because of his own stupidity!" She laughs and jumps down from the top of the Fox. As she gets closer to him, Naruto notices a subtle red glow in her eyes._

_ "You witch..." He hisses, furiously._

_ "But don't worry..." She purrs, close to his ear. "I'll make sure your friends don't suffer too long...their deaths will be swift."_

_ "Don't you dare...!" He snaps, struggling against the chains that bite into his flesh._

_ "Except...maybe that little pink-haired girl. Sakura, was it? She was rather rude to me..." Chiasa grins, shrugging non-chalantly. "I think I'll let her suffer for a while..."_

_ "NO!" Naruto screams in rage. "DON'T YOU TOUCH HER!"_

_ "Sorry...but Konoha must pay for the way they treated me." She says. "It was their fault my family died...and now, after all these years. I can finally get my revenge."_

_ "Wha...?" Naruto yanks again at the chains, wincing as they constrict even tighter._

_ "Nevermind. It's time for you to go to sleep..."_

_ Naruto's thoughts swirl. His vision darkens. His body goes numb._

_ The last thing he hears is a small, haunting tune being hummed by the witch named Chiasa._


	10. Attack on Konoha

_**Chapter Ten**_

**A/N:**

**Me: Oh, hello everyone! I'd like to introduce you to someone special. After chatting with one of my readers, I decided to be a fangirl for a little bit...*ahem* This, is Yamato-Taichou!**

**Yamato: Hello.**

**Me: And this is Kakashi-sensei!**

**Kakashi: Yo.**

**Me: Alright, guys. You know what to do!**

**Them: Oh okaaayy... *ahem* Hi, LouAronShinobi! Thanks for supporting Leisa's fanfics! She really appreciates it! 3**

**Me: *you're welcome* XDDDD ANYWAY...time for the chapter!**

**(And thanks all of you, as well! It makes me super happy when you like my stories :D I just wanted to do this because LouAronShinobi and I were having a conversation about having crushes on imaginary people LOL...sorta XD Anyway, THANKS!)**

**-xXx-**

Chiasa smiles, wickedly as she pulls herself free from the dead boy's mind. A small frown darkens her face when she finds him crumpled to the floor, his eyes open but blank. Unseeing. Empty. "Sorry, kid." She whispers. "But getting my revenge is the most important thing right now. Even if it means taking a few innocent lives. Sorry you had to get caught up in the middle of this." She bows her head in respect for a moment. Then, with a small tug, the kyuubi's chakra is yanked from Naruto's motionless body.

As the Fox Demon literally spills out of him, it begins to take form. Snarling and furious as he tries to find the woman who had taken control of him. Chiasa yanks on the black, shadowy chains and the Fox is, miraculously, pulled forward. "Down, boy..." She chuckles, smugly. "And don't even try to kill me." Her eyes turn distant for a moment. "It won't work..."

However, as the witch leads her captured demonic spirit away in chains, she completely misses the small twitch of a certain blonde's hand. And as the door slams shut, she also misses the pained groan break from his lips as his eyes flicker, fall shut and then open once again...

_**-xXx-**_

__The sun had just risen in the Hidden Leaf village when Sakura's alarm clock buzzes, loudly, signaling it was time to wake up. The rosette groans, rolls over and slams her fist down on the snooze button. "Not now, alarm clock..." She grumbles. "I wanna sleep..." She flips over again, tugging the sheets over her head and closes her eyes. _I wonder how Naruto is doing?_ She thinks, groggily. _He didn't seem in very high spirits yesterday..._

...

With a weary, frusterated sigh, she sits up. "Ugh, why am I so worried about that idiot?! He's probably still asleep, knowing him!" But the more she sits there, stewing in concern, the more convniced she is that she needs to check on him. _He was really upset about hurting me..._She remembers. _I hope he's not beating himself up over it..._ Then, she gets up and gets dressed. "I suppose I have no choice. I need to make sure the knucklehead is okay."

It's happens almost on que. As soon as Sakura's headband is tightly secured over her hair, she feels an enourmous quake in the ground below her. "An earthquake?" She gasps, bracing herself for more shockwaves. The earth rumbles, sending her sprawling to the floor. "Ah!" She flips back to her feet just in time to miss a potted plant that crashes to the floor from her bedside table. "That's _not_ an earthquake!" She decides and rushes to the window.

Throwing open the curtains, she finds herself looking at scene she thought, or at least hoped, she'd never see. How it had evaded her attention until now was miraculous.

The horizon was bathed in blood red chakra. Already, hundreds of shinobi were pouring out of their homes, armed and ready to defend the village against the beast. Nine, powerful tails crash against buildings, shattering them into pieces as a pair of glowing, red eyes scan the mob of ninja with a hungry expression.

Sakura clamps a hand over her mouth as she stumbles away from the window. "Oh God..." She breathes. "Please...please tell me I'm dreaming..." She squeezes her eyes shut as tears sting them. _Wake up, wake up!_ A single tear rolls down her cheek. _No...this is real. This is really happening..._ Numbly, she reaches for her kunai pouch and straps it across her waist. Her jade eyes staring, blankly at the floor as she hurries outside. The tears were rolling freely now.

"If the Nine Tailed Fox is really here...then Naruto must be..." But the thought was too horrible to finish. "Oh, Naruto...what happened to you?"

The kyuubi lets out a deafening roar, shaking the village at its foundation.

_**-xXx-**_

__"Uhhh..." Naruto's stiff moan fills the cluttered room. He tries to open his eyes but immediately shuts them again as a throbbing pain shoots through them. "Ohhh..." Even with his eyes closed, he feels his head spinning. "What...just happened...?" He groans, pushing himself onto his elbows. Wincing at the pain in his stomach. Almost as soon as he manages to sit up, a wave of crippling weakness washes over him. He slumps back to the floor with a heavy thump. A steady ringing in his ears accompanies the weakness and dizziness that now plauged him. "How am I...alive?" He wonders, half-heartedly. "That witch...pulled the Fox out of me...I should be dead..." It was a sobering thought. If not for, whatever what keeping him alive now, he'd be dead. And he would only have himself and his own stupidity to blame.

Sucking in a breath, he tries to move again. "C'mon...Uzumaki...get up!" He wills himself, battling the aching urge to sleep. "Get...up...!" But it was no use, his body gives out and he collapses again, hitting his head against the floorboards so hard he sees stars. "Ughhh..." He groans, pathetically. "What am I...hoping to accompish now?" He asks himself. "Even if I get up...there's nothing I can-" His breath catches. "Oh no..." Almost before he even realizes what he's doing, he's on his feet. "Chiasa is..."

He starts running, ignoring the protests of his defeated body. He was a man on a mission. He had to save his home. And all the people he cared about.

"I refuse to let them die because of my mistake!" He grits his teeth. "I've fought tougher opponents than some frail old hag! I'll just defeat her and take the kyuubi back before it can kill anyone!"

He pauses.

_But how am I gonna do that? I can barely stay on my feet as it is...one hit from them and I'm really going to die..._

With a furious shake of his head, he decides he'll just have to risk it.

_After all, this is my fault. I'm the one who trusted Chiasa in the first place. It's my duty to save the village and I don't intend on failing!_


	11. Hero's Arrival

_**Chapter Eleven**_

Blood. Blood was everywhere. It soaked the ground, the sides of buildings, the people. The coppery, rancid smell stained the air and made it hard to breathe. It was as if the village itself was the one bleeding...

Roaring, thrashing, biting, snarling. The demon screams in fury as its enourmous claws shatter another house, spraying wood and dry wall into the air. His glowing eyes pierce the darkness cast by storm clouds that had suddenly gathered on the monster's appearance in Konoha. One of its nine tails smash against the ground, buckling the street.

_Naruto..._He was no where to be found. Sakura had checked his apartment, scanned the battlefield-turned alleyways...he was gone. No one seemed to know where he was. _He wouldn't...would he? _Sakura sprints around a turn in the alley and glares up at the rampaging Fox. There was a figure seated on top of it.

"Naruto...?" She squints through the haze of smoke from one of the many burning buildings, trying to see who it was. Surely, it couldn't be him. Naruto would never do anything like this. And sure enough, the person riding atop the Nine Tails was a woman. An elderly woman with gray hair and coal black eyes. "Chiasa!" She gasps in horror. _Oh God...Naruto must have-_ She presses the heels of her hands to her eyes, trying to contain the sorrowful tears that burn them.

"NARUTO!" She screams in a blind panic.

_**-xXx-**_

__He could see the blood-red haze hanging over his home. Tall columns of smoke and fire dot the horizon as he draws nearer. Even though he was still miles away, he could plainly hear the Fox's roars. They shook the earth below his feet, throwing off his steady pace and nearly causing him to fall several times.

With a determined growl of his own, he crosses his fingers into a handsign. Closing his eyes, he says, "Just hang on, everyone. I'm on my way...!"

_**-xXx-**_

__"AGHHH!"

"UGHH!"

"AHHHHHHHH!"

More and more people fall, their heavy landings add to a chorus of shouts as Medical Ninja join the battlefield. Hands glow green all across the village, turning the crimson hue a sort of sickening, dead brown color as the Medical Corp tries, desperately, to keep up with the number of injured.

"Sakura!" A voice calls.

The rosette turns, quickly away from her patient but doesn't stop healing her.

Ino hurries to her friend's side. "What the heck is going on?!" She demands. "Why is the kyuubi attacking?"

"How should I know?!" Sakura barks, avoiding the other girl's icy-blue eyes.

"Where's Naruto?" Ino asks her.

"I don't know..." Sakura admits. "I couldn't find hin anywhere. No one has seen him."

"We can't do this without him! He's the strongest ninja we've got!"

"I KNOW THAT!"

Ino recoils away from Sakura's furious outburst.

"But I'm sort of busy here. And you should be too, you're a medic. Go heal someone." Sakura grumbles.

Ino pauses, pressing her lips together. "Has anyone...?"

"Died?" Sakura shakes her head. "Not yet. So far, we've been able to keep up."

"Good." Ino nods and sprints away. "Keep an eye out for Naruto!" She reminds her.

"Yeah..." Sakura releases her patient to return to the fight, lowering her gaze. _That is...if he isn't already dead..._

_**-xXx-**_

__"SUMMONING JUTSU!"

_**-xXx-**_

__There's a huge puff of smoke near the village gates. The Fox turns, slowly. His piercing red eyes studying the ploom, curiously. The ninja waiting below also stare in wonder.

"What is that?" One of them asks.

"Is that a summoning jutsu?" Another mutters.

Then, the smoke clears.

"Ah!" A collective gasp from the Leaf Village Shinobi.

"IT'S NARUTO!" They cheer, shouting in pure joy at the sight of their hero, mounted atop a huge summoning toad with a deep red cloak billowing in the wind behind him.

_**-xXx-**_

__As the smoke clears around him, the carnage becomes more visible. Hundreds of people line the streets, broken and bleeding. Buildings burn and lay shattered on the ground. The Fox snarls at the sight of his host, alive and ready to fight.

Naruto frowns, his arms folded as he studies the demon. It looked fully resurrected, in full flesh and bone. Nothing like the hazy image he often saw behind the bars of the cage within his mind. That Fox, he could manage. This Fox...was different. It was huge and intimidating and the mere feel of its chakra sent shudders down Naruto's spine.

He grinds his teeth together, reminding himself he needs to do this. "Chiasa!" He barks to the old woman.

She glares at him. How was he still alive?

"Stop attacking the village! Otherwise, I'll have to come over there and beat the snot outta you!" He jabs a finger in her direction. "And I really don't want to hit an old lady!"

The witch grins, confindently. "Big words for such a young boy...but can you back them up?" With a flick of her wrist, the chains that bind the kyuubi to her snap against the demon's throat. It roars, furiously and charges toward Naruto and Gamabunta.

Naruto tenses. "Ready Chief?"

"Yeah..." The frog growls.

"Let's go!" They spring high into the air.


	12. I Am Still Strong Enough!

_**Chapter Twelve**_

"Let's go!" Gamabunta springs high into the air, Naruto clinging to the toad chief's collar. The giant toad unsheathes his blade, aiming it for the Fox's head.

Chiasa grins. "Kyuubi." She says.

As if it had read her mind, the Fox leaps out of the way. Spinning, easily over the roofs of tall buildings until it lands a good half mile away. But between the two battling creatures, it appeared to be only a few feet.

Naruto swears under his breath. "For something so big, the Fox sure is fast..."

"Hn." Gamabunta lands, heavily. The earth shudders under his massive weight. "I wouldn't get too worried if I were you..." He grumbles, eyeing his opponents. "After all..." A little smile crosses his lips. "There is no creature on earth stronger than the chief toad!" He roars, twirling his huge knife.

Naruto grins. _That's pretty cocky. Let's hope he can back it up._ "Right!" Naruto stands up, crossing his fingers. "Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

The surrounding area is filled with hundreds-thousands-of Naruto clones. All of which are cloaked, their yellow eyes lined with the orange circles of a sage. The blonde grins, confidently. "Go!" He shouts. The clones charge, their hands gleaming with kunai and shuriken.

Gamabunta's eyes widen. _When did Naruto learn to expand his sage mode to so many clones?_ He smirks. _He's just getting better and better all the time..._

_That should hold them for a while._ Naruto decides, glancing around. Hoping to determine just how many people had been hurt...or worse. That's when he sees flash of pink amongst the crowd.

"Naruto!" Sakura calls up to him.

He smiles in relief. "Hey, Sakura!"

"Are you okay?!"

"Just fine! How about you and the others?"

"The Medical Corp is keeping up with the number of injured so far! Can you handle the kyuubi on your own?!" Even from a distance, the concern twisting her features was evident.

"I'll be alright! Just make sure no one else gets involved! I don't want anyone else getting hurt by this thing!"

She hesitates for a moment. "Right." And then she dissapears back into the mob of bystanders.

Just then, he feels the last of his clones being destroyed so he turns back, tensing for a fight. "What's the plan, Chief?" He mumbles, keeping both eyes locked on his enemies.

"That old woman," He begins. "Is she the one who summoned the kyuubi?"

"Yeah." Naruto says, deciding not to delve into detail.

"Then all we need to do is beat her. That will send the Fox back to where it came from." The toad explains.

_To where it came from?_ Naruto's hand touches his stomach. "Okay..." He shakes his head, trying to refocus on the fight. "That's fine. So we need to seperate them!"

"Yep."

"Leave it to me!" Naruto says, once again using his clones. "Shadow clone jutsu!" Five other Narutos appear, all of them standing next to him with their arms folded, looking very serious. "You know what to do." He tells them. Three of the five step forward, drawing weapons while the other two get closer to the original.

Chiasa watches with an intense expression. _What is he up to?_ But she couldn't tell, the three Narutos in the front row were obstructing her view. "Tsk! No matter! I'll just kill him and put an end to whatever it is!" With a flick of her wrist, the chains snap kyuubi's neck, sending him sprinting forward.

Gamabunta braces for impact. "How much longer, Naruto?!"

"Almost ready!" The swirling ball of chakra grows larger as another clone pumps in wind energy. A loud ringing reverberates through the village from Naruto's jutsu.

Chiasa starts to laugh as they draw closer. Her opponents were doing nothing! They were just standing there! "SO HAVE YOU FINALLY ACCEPTED YOUR DEFEAT?!" She shouts, yanking at the kyuubi's chains again.

"Naruto!" Gamabunta calls, furiously.

"Almost!" The jutsu jumps in size again. Its loud screech intensifies.

The Nine Tails springs into the air, coiling back its front paw to strike.

"I'm gonna jump!" Gamabunta warns Naruto.

"No! I'm nearly ready!" The blonde protests.

"If we don't move now, that monster will kill us!"

"Don't move, Chief! Trust me!" Naruto demands.

_**-xXx-**_

From on the ground, Sakura watches in horror as the kyuubi leaps into the air, its huge claws sailing through the sky toward her teammate. "NARUTO MOVE!" She screams, desperately.

The Fox snarls as its claws slice the air, straight for them.

_**-xXx-**_

__But that's when a roaring wind blasts forth from seemingly nowhere. Naruto's clones vanish, revealing the cloaked teen standing atop Gamabunta with his hand raised high above his head.

Within his palm is a large, spiraling ball of chakra. And around it is a torrent of madly twisting wind that lets off a loud scream with each turn.

"What is that?!" Chiasa gasps. "Such immense chakra!"

Naruto steps forward. "Cheif, jump now!"

"Right!"

Just as the Fox goes to strike, Gamabunta jumps out of the way. Narrowly avoiding the razor-like talons. The Toad and his passenger soar above Chiasa. Naruto steps forward again, sailing straight down from the top of Gamabunta's head. He draws his arm back.

"Wind style: Rasenshuriken!"

The Fox recovers just in time to recognize the sound of his host's most devistating attack. With a snarl, it whips its tails back and sends them flying toward Naruto. They hit head on, crashing into Naruto's body with unimaginable force. Naruto yelps in pain as his body smashes into the Hokage monument, leaving a small crater below him.

"AGH!" Blood sprays from his mouth as he collides with the stone wall behind him. His vision doubles for a moment and he gets the feeling of falling. The next thing he knows, he's landing, heavily, on Gamabunta's tongue.

"Hey, are you okay, kid?" The Toad asks him.

"Y-yeah..." He stammers, shaking his head to clear his blurred vision.

Chiasa laughs, smugly from atop the Nine Tails. "Have you learned? You are no match for me!" She yells to them. "Beside me, you're nothing but a flea!" She laughs again. "A pathetic insect!"

Naruto swears under his breath and pushes himself to his feet, swaying slightly. "No..." He hisses, glaring dangerously at her. "I may not be the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki any more.." He begins. "But I'm still strong enough to defeat you!"

"Hmm..." She shakes her head. "We'll see."

"Naruto, have you got a plan?" The Toad asks.

The blonde frowns. "I'm workin' on it..."

"Well you better think of somethin' fast! 'Cuz here they come again!"

Naruto looks up just in time to see the kyuubi charging again. He tenses. _No...I won't lose. I'll defeat them and save the village. No matter what!_


	13. Sly Little Fox

_**Chapter Thirteen**_

_I won't lose! I'll save the village, no matter what!_

Chiasa laughs, hysterically as the Fox charges her opponents. "KILL THEM!" She roars, stomping her foot, heavily, upon the kyuubi's head. The demon snarls in response, its eyes blazing with hatred.

Naruto and Gamabunta brace for attack, both their minds racing for a solution to the fight. There seemed to be none. They were fighting the legendary Nine Tailed Fox and a crazy witch! How would they top that?

Naruto shakes the doubts from his mind. _Yeah? Well we're the Chief Toad and Konoha's hero! We'll take them down for sure!_ He steps forward, weaving a handsign. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

"Hm?" Chiasa frowns. "More clones? I would have thought you were a tougher opponent than that..." She stomps her foot again and kyuubi jumps into the air, swinging its massive tails toward Naruto. _If I just defeat the brat, then the Toad will dissapear._ She smirks. _And from that beating he took earlier, this will be no problem._

Naruto grits his teeth together at the sight of the Fox's tails slicing the air toward him. _There's no way to dodge..._He realizes. _Looks like I only have one choice!_

All nine tails smash over Gamabunta's back, completely engulfing Naruto's body. The huge toad gasps in pain and crumples to the ground beneath the weight. "NARUTO!" He shouts in fear. Was he still alive?!

"Urg..."

"Huh?" Chiasa leans forward, eyes narrowing toward the small groan from beneath the pile of tails. Suddenly, they begin to quake. The world tips around her as the Fox is yanked straight off his feet. "AH!" She yelps in shock and jumps out of the way, rolling away just in time to avoid the Fox crushing her. "WHAT ON EARTH?!" She demands.

Naruto pants heavily, his eyes gleaming yellow as his body overflows with nature energy. He doubles over, worn out from tossing the kyuubi. "Geez, Fox, you're heavy!" He moans.

"TSK!" Chiasa glares at him. _So that is Sage Mode...increadible._

Naruto rights himself, wiping sweat from his forehead. _And after all that...she managed to dodge it...amazing._ He spreads his stance further, preparing to attack again as his clones join him on the ground. "Ready guys?"

They all nod in consent.

"We've got them on the ground, so GO!" He shouts, waving them forward. Kunai and shuriken slip into their waiting hands as they sprint. Almost immediately, the air is filled with blades that soar straight for Chiasa.

"Kyuubi!" She barks, snapping at him with the chains once more.

The frusterated fox climbs to his feet again, growling at Naruto. His tails encircle Chiasa as if to protect her which brings a shock to Naruto.

_Hmph, they deserve each other..._He grumbles, almost jealously.

As soon as the clones are upon them, the Fox lets out a huge roar, sending a shockwave of chakra through them. They dissipate instantly. But kyuubi does not release Chiasa from his grip.

_Huh?_ Naruto stops, watching the demon's face intently. _What's going on?_

A low growl rumbles in the kyuubi's throat as he lifts a clawed foot to the chains wrapped around his body, striking them with all the force he has. They don't budge which causes him to growl and strike again.

_He wants to be freed from the chains!_ Naruto realizes. _That's why he's listening to her...it must hurt when she snaps him with them..._ Naruto frowns, almost angry at the fact that the kyuubi was being hurt by the old hag. His teeth grit together and he takes a bold step forward. "Hey! Kyuubi!" He calls.

Burning crimson eyes flash in his direction.

"Help _us_! You'll be freed from your binds if you do!" The blonde urges.

Another rumbling snarl. That would be a no.

"C'mon! I know you hate me but at least I never injured you!" He points out. "Why're you siding with that witch?!"

Within the blink of an eye, the Fox closes the distance between them. His huge fangs only an inch from Naruto's face. The blonde can't help but go stiff in fear at their close proximity. If it wanted to, the Fox could murder him in a second. It was a sobering thought.

"Naruto, get out of there!" Gamabunta calls, eagerly.

But he doesn't move. The frozen blonde stares, directly, into the Fox's eyes. Oceanic blue meeting blood red for what feels like an eternity but, in reality, is only a few seconds.

"Naruto?" Gamabunta asks, quietly.

Suddenly, Naruto takes a stiff step back. His eye still locked with the demon's. The blonde nods, weakly. He looks weirdly pale and frightened for some reason. Just then, the Fox uncurls his tails to reveal Chiasa who stumbles away from him instantly.

"KYUUBI! WHAT WAS THAT ALL ABOUT?!" She screams. "I TOLD YOU TO LET ME GO!" She yanks on the chains again. Whipping them, painfully, across the kyuubi's neck.

Naruto's face darkens and he lowers his gaze to the ground.

"Hm?" The witch tilts her head at the sight of Naruto looking so thoughtful. "What's the matter with you, boy? Scared?" She snickers.

He doesn't answer. Instead, he lowers his head even more until his face is hidden by shadows.

Chiasa's skin prickles suddenly and a chill spikes through the air. She knew this chakra. The only thing she couldn't figure was...how was _he_ using it?!

Out of the corner of his face, a little smirk twitches at his lips as his whisker-marks thicken. His nails extend into razor claws and his hair bristles as a, nearly-transparent, circle of chakra swirls by his feet.

His head snaps up, his eyes blazing crimson as the Fox grins at him from behind Chiasa.

_**-xXx-**_

___"I'll help you out just this once, Naruto...I really hate that old hag!"_

_**-xXx-**_


	14. I Trust You

_**Chapter Fourteen**_

_**"I'll help you out, just this once Naruto...I really hate that old hag!"**_

The air is absolutely bursting with chakra as Naruto takes a bold step forward, a low growl rumbles in his throat. He flexes his clawed hands which craves to rip into Chiasa's flesh. When he speaks, his voice is abnormally deep and rough. With just a hint of malice humor. "I'm gonna enjoy this..."

_**-xXx-**_

__Throughout all of this madness, Sakura has been watching from the sidelines. Her face creased with worry. "No, he doesn't want anyone to interfere." She tells someone as they try to rush back onto the battlefield. "Naruto will take care of it...he always does." But there was a distant look about her, her eyes were dim and she wore a perpetual frown. _Something isn't right..._She realizes, suddenly. _No one seems to be fighting over there anymore._

At first, there had been the crashes and bangs of an intense battle. Now, there was silence. The Fox still towered over the village, but he was sitting still. Staring down at the scene below him with an evil smirk. And Gamabunta was still just trying to recover from the demon's attack. Naruto and Chiasa were out of sight, somewhere hidden below their monsterous companions.

The rosette closes her eyes, bowing her head. _Naruto...please be okay._

Almost as if her silent wish had triggered it, the sounds of battle picked up. The air explodes with chakra and there is a furious roar. One not too different from the Nine Tail's...but the kyuubi is still. Goosebumps spike over her Sakura's skin. She knew this feeling. This chakra was far too firmiliar to her. _Oh no..._

She quickly jumps to her feet. "Ino!" She calls without taking her eyes off the battlefield.

"What is it?!" Her friends asks as she continues to heal someone.

"I'm going to find Naruto! Keep an eye on everyone here."

"What?" Ino turns to look at her. "But I thought Naruto said-"

"Nevermind that now!" Sakura barks and starts running. "He needs my help, trust me on this!"

Ino hesitates. "Fine, just don't get yourself killed..."

"I don't plan on it!"

_**-xXx-**_

__"_**RAWWWWW!**_"

Chiasa cries out in shock and pain as another burst of chakra blows her off her feet and sends her slamming into the side of a house. Blood drips down her mouth as she pulls herself to her feet again. "KYUUBI!" She barks, snapping at the Fox with the chains. "KILL HIM ALREADY!" Kyuubi winces away from the chains but doesn't move. He only pours more and more chakra into Naruto.

A shadow spills over Chiasa. She glances up, her expression changing to one of horror as Naruto drops onto her. His knees pinning her to the ground as he draws back his fist for a punch. Only at that close proximity, does Chiasa see the light coating of chakra covering his body.

_The Fox betrayed me?!_ She realizes, furiously.

_**THWAK**_

__Blood stains Naruto's knuckles as he pulls back for another punch. Chiasa's face was turned to the side from the force of the hit. She grins, weakly.

"I thought you said you didn't want to hit an old lady?" She chuckles.

Naruto doesn't even hear her mockery. His ears were pounding under the force of the chakra. His vision was almost entirely dark. For some reason, at times like this, he completely trusted the Fox to control his body. He just felt so...tired. Like he wanted to go to sleep and let the kyuubi handle everything. But it was always like that...he knew what happened when he went to sleep.

The last time he let the Fox control him, he had hurt-

"NARUTO!" Sakura shouts as she sprints toward him.

The sound of her voice sent a flash of light over his vision. He saw Chiasa pinned down below him. Blood trickling from her mouth with his fist coiled by his ear.

_What the...?_ He wonders. _When did I do this?_

"Naruto, snap out of it!" Sakura barks.

Suddenly, he feels a pair of hands clamp down over his shoulders. Instinct kicks back in and his vision goes pitch black. His skin burns from chakra, he smells smoke.

_**Kill her, kill her, kill her!**_ Kyuubi urges, fiercely.

_Who...?_ Naruto asks him, sleepily.

_**The witch. She's behind you now.**_ The demon replies.

_Chiasa? How did she get behind me?_ Naruto wonders.

_**That's not important. You have to kill he-**_

__"NARUTO, WAKE UP!"

"Huh?" Light crashes over his sight again. What he sees makes his stomach twist.

Sakura was pressed against a wall, fear and determination mingling in her emerald eyes. She was shaking, slightly. But she was trying to conceal it. She didn't want him to know how scared she was. Scared of _him_. Naruto's clawed hand was holding her, firmly, by the arm. His nails digging into her skin. The other was coiled up as if to hit her.

"S-Sakura..." He breathes, stumbling away. "I-I am sorry! I didn't-"

She shakes her head. "We'll talk later." She says, jabbing a finger at something behind him. "Right now, we need to take her down."

Naruto turns. Chiasa was standing up again, glaring intensely at them. He frowns. "I don't know if I can...everytime I try the Fox takes over..." He mumbles, staring at the ground.

Sakura's hand touches his shoulder again. He flinches but she doens't draw away. "That's what I figured." She says, smiling. "I'm here to help."

Naruto hesitates. "Aren't you afraid I'll turn on you again?"

Sakura laughs, loudly as if that were ridiculous. "No way!"

"What?"

Her face softens again. "I trust you."

"But-"

"You stopped yourself a minute ago, right?" She says, folding her arms. "I trust you, Naruto. You won't hurt me."

His face hardens again and he nods. "I promise."

"Then let's go. We'll beat her in no time"!


	15. The Enemy of My Enemy

_**Chapter Fifteen**_

___Clang!_

_ Clash!_

_ Scrape!_

Sparks fly as metal grinds on metal. Sakura flips away from Chiasa, freeing their dueling kunai just as Naruto drops in from above, shattering the ground with Sage Mode-enhanced punch. Chiasa stumbles, tumbling to the ground for just a split second before rolling back onto her feet, panting heavily.

"You're pretty good for such an old hag..." Naruto allows with a tired smirk.

"Hn." Chiasa only continues to glare at him, a kunai held firmly in her grip.

Sakura lands beside him, panting slightly. _I thought she said she wasn't a ninja..._The rosette fumes. _Then again, she also said she was a kind, sweet old lady...and we all know how much of a lie that was...I guess it's safe to assume we're dealing with a full-fledged kunoichi then._

"Sakura." Naruto mumbles under his breath.

"Hm?" She never takes her eyes off Chiasa.

"I've got a plan." He tells her. "But I'm gonna need some time."

"I've got your back." She says. Sakura rights herself and steps in front of him.

"Right." Naruto closes his eyes. _The Fox said he'd help me...let's see how far he'll take his promise..._

As Sakura waits for her opponent to make a move, she is eerily aware of how silent Naruto has become. Out of the corner of her eye, she glances back at him. Only to find the blonde standing still, his head drooped and his eyes closed. _What's he doing?_ She wonders but does not voice her curiosity. Whatever it was, Naruto probably knew what he was doing...probably.

She shakes her head and turns back to the woman before her. Chiasa finally gets sick of doing nothing so she charges. _Obviously, the blonde brat is working on something...if I am going to defeat them, now's the time. While he's focused on his plan and she is the only one I have to worry about. _Armed and ready to strike, the witch leaps into the air. Hoping to catch Sakura off guard. The rosette runs up and meets her blade, more sparks shed into the air, accompanied by a loud crash.

_**-xXx-**_

_** "You think that will work?" Kyuubi grumbles, skeptically.**_

___"I know it will! But I need your help!" Naruto insists._

_**"And what makes you think I won't betray you?" The Fox snickers.**_

___Naruto frowns. He didn't have time for the Fox's games! He needed his help. And he needed it now! Suddenly, something sparks in his memory. _

_**-xXx-**_

___Naruto hesitates, guilt and self-doubt mar his face. "Aren't you afraid I'll turn on you again?" He asks. His sounds small, even to himself._

_ Sakura laughs, loudly as if the notion was ridiculous. "No way!"_

_ "What?" He asks, finally meeting her gaze._

_ Her face softens again and she smiles, warmly. "I trust you."_

_ "But-" He steps forward. She had to see that he was dangerous when it came to the Fox. How could she forgive him so easily after what he'd done...?_

_ "You stopped yourself a minute ago, right?" She says, folding her arms. "I trust you, Naruto. You won't hurt me."_

_**-xXx-**_

___Naruto smiles at the memory. Sakura trusted him, even though he'd injured her. She was counting on him. The whole village was counting on him! He wasn't going to let her or anyone down. No way! "You won't betray me." Naruto says, firmly._

_**"But how can you be so sure?" **_

___Naruto smirks and walks closer to the kyuubi. "Because you had your chance. If you had put up with Chiasa a little longer, then you could've killed me. But you didn't. You said it yourself, you hate her more than you hate me."_

_**The Fox's eyes widen, slightly. He was right. Kyuubi had had his chance to be rid of Naruto once and for all and, for some reason, he hadn't even thought about killing him. At the moment, it had seemed...wrong. The Fox pushes those odd thoughts away and smirks. "So the enemy of my enemy is my friend, eh? Fine, I'll help out with your plan. Just this once."**_

_ A brilliant smile lights Naruto's face and he nods. "Great!" Just as he takes a step forward, he pauses. _

_**"Hm?"**_

___"Hey, kyuubi...?"_

_**"What is it now?"**_

___The teen grins at him. "I just hope that one day...we won't have to try this hard to work together..."_

_**"What?"**_

___He smiles, sheepishly. "I wonder...I wonder if we could ever be friends too?"_


	16. Her Secret Weapon?

_**Chapter Sixteen**_

_Friends? With Naruto? The Fox couldn't even fathom the concept. For sixteen years, the two had held a deep animosity for each other. Why, all of a sudden, did Naruto want to be friends? The Fox lets out an annoyed growl and narrows his eyes at his host._

_**"I agreed to help you out. Keep pushing your luck and I'll kill you where you stand, you brat." **_

___Naruto's smile fades and he sighs. "Well, I tried." He grumbles. "Alright, let's get to it. Sakura's waiting."_

_**-xXx-**_

__Sakura and Chiasa's knives smash together again. The older woman continued to try to get behind her. Sakura could tell she was aiming for Naruto with every swing she took. Every blade she let fly was targeting her friend's heart. And every time, Sakura just narrowly managed to block the attack. This woman, as old and feeble as she looked, was a much tougher opponent than she let on.

By this point, Sakura was panting. Between healing a dozen injured shinobi and now, battling with Chiasa while covering for Naruto, Sakura was tired to say the least. She desperately needed Naruto to wake up soon. But, whatever trance he had placed himself in, she couldn't break it. She'd tried calling out to him but had gotten no response. All she could do was hope he'd snap out of soon. Or else she would slip up, and someone would end up getting hurt.

Just as Chiasa tries to hook Sakura's leg out from under her, Naruto's eyes fly open. He lunges forward, catching his teammate before she looses her balance.

"Naruto!" Sakura gasps, smiling in relief as Naruto pulls her into his arms and jumps away from their enemy.

"Sorry, was I gone long?" He asks, setting her down.

"Not terribly long..." She shrugs. "But I would appreciate if you'd stick around for a while."

He chuckles and drops into a fighting stance. "No problem."

"Did you get it figured out?" She asks him.

"Yeah, Kyuubi and I have got this handled." He says.

"Kyuubi?" She breathes, her eyes widening. "You mean..."

"Yeah." He nods. "He agreed to help us out."

_**Wrong, I agreed to help you out. I couldn't care less if she dies.**_

_We're a package deal. You help me, you help her. Naruto says, pointedly._

"That's..." Sakura shakes her head. "I never thought I'd hear you say that."

Naruto smirks. "He says he'll keep us safe."

_**Liar!**_

_Shut up, I'm making you look good!_

Sakura visibly brightens. "Nice! Uh...thanks, kyuubi."

_**That little wench...!**_

__"He says you're welcome!" Naruto chirps.

_**STOP THAT!**_

"Anyway..." The both of them square back off to face Chiasa. She was watching them, closely. Trying to decide what her next move will be. Attack or retreat? With Naruto back in the fight, it would be tough. But...She glances at the kyuubi. Whatever deal they had made, it didn't matter. As long as Naruto didn't have the demon's full power, she still had a chance to defeat them. She just had to play her cards right.

And, with a grin, she decides on which card to play. _Aw, well...I had wanted to watch them squirm a bit longer...but I suppose they leave me no choice. I will have to end it quickly. _Her fingers twist into a handsign. One was so impossible, it made her fingers creak in protest. But she held through it, a pained grin on her face.

Naruto and Sakura watch, suspiciously as she begins to mumble something under her breath. Her handsign changes from time to time, becoming more and more painful-looking every minute.

"What's she up to...?" Naruto wonders.

"I don't like the looks of it...whatever it is..." Sakura mumbles, tensing.

"Yeah, we should-" He is cut off by Chiasa's loud shout.

"SUMMONING JUTSU!"

The air is instantly filled with unbreathable smoke. Choking and coughing, Naruto and Sakura sprint out of the cloud, gasping for air. "WHAT WAS THAT?!" Sakura demands, trying to clear her lungs of smoke.

"She said summoning jutsu..." He mumbles.

"So what did she summon?"

Their question is answered as the cloud of smoke is suddenly blown away.

Naruto's eyes go wide at the sight of it.

Sakura gasps, her stomach clenching in fear. "I-I thought exorcists were supposed to kill demons..." She breathes.

"She did say something about...keeping them trapped within scrolls..." Naruto says, his voice shaking a bit.

The creature before them was an abomination. A mess of twisted flesh and visible bone. Its eyes sear through the smoke like two small moons, only a much more menacing shade of yellow. It growls, crawling down on all fours to glare at them. The demon's flesh was red, as if it didn't wear any skin. With long, black claws and horns. It lets out a hiss and steam leaks from its mouth when it does.

Naruto shudders. He was supposed to fight this thing?

_**Calm down, you pathetic idiot. **__Kyuubi orders. __**You're acting like you've neve seen a demon before.**_

___N-not like this one...You look like a house cat next to him..._

_**Tsk, he may look impressive-**_

___IMPRESSIVE?! Repulsive, more like!_

_**But we'll see who's stronger. Me or him.**_

__Naruto swallows, nervously. Allowing more of the Fox's chakra to leak into his body. Immediately, his nerves cool down. The goosebumps dissapear and he stands up. Seeing the world through a pair of blood red eyes, he takes a breath.

"Sakura..."

She tears her gaze away from the monster. "Yeah?"

"Stay back. I'll handle him." He tells her. His voice was uncharacteristically cool and even. His expression was unreadable.

"I..." She looks back at the creature and shudders. "I want to help you."

"No." He shakes his head. "Let me do it. I kind of want to test something as well." He tells her.

"You think now is a good time to be testing theories?" She demands.

"As good a time as any." He smirks, tensing for a fight.

The demon hisses, angrily.

"You're insane." She grumbles, standing up. "I'll stand back for now. But if you get in a pinch, I'm going to help you." She warns him.

"Yeah, yeah." He reaches up to tighten his headband. "Just sit back and enjoy the show."__


	17. Seperating

_**Chapter Seventeen**_

_**A/N: Sorry for the delay! I am having relatives down this week and had to prepare, leaving me little time to write T_T But I will be writing throughout the week! (Maybe not my usual one chapter per day but maybe every other day). Thanks for understanding - Leisa :)**_

_**-xXx-**_

_Alright, kyuubi._ Naruto tenses for the fight, his eyes focused on Chiasa's demon. _What do I do about this thing?_

The creature hisses, shedding steam onto the ground. Its head jerks to the side, inspecting Naruto closely as it takes a small step forward, testing him. It turns its head again, a low growl rumbling in its chest. A long, snake-like tongue flicks out as it comes a bit closer.

_**He's seeing if your a threat right now. **_Kyuubi explains. _**In any other situation, I would reccomend you just run away...**_

_But now? _Naruto asks him, suspiciously.

_**You're trying to protect the village, so running isn't an option. You'll have fight him and hope for the best.**_

_You think I can? This thing is huge..._

_**We'll see, now won't we?**_ The Fox snickers.

_Oh, you're a big help..._Naruto grumbles, unappily.

_**I'll give you some chakra, that should help.**_ Kyuubi offers.

_Okay, but no funny business. I don't have time for your tricks._ Naruto warns him.

_**No promises...**_

"Ah!" Naruto winces as his body is flooded with chakra. He feels his nails growing out and his teeth becoming more fang-like. His hands curl up, ready to strike. But his mind doesn't fade.

He hears Sakura draw in a small gasp and he turns. She was staring at him with wide eyes, her mouth hanging slightly agape.

"What?" He asks her.

"Naruto...you're..."

He looks down at himself and nearly cries out in shock. Engulfing his body was a thin veil of pale, yellow chakra. It was almost transparent, his clothes were still visible through it. But it flowed and swirled and moved around him, almost like fire. Except it didn't burn. There was no pain at all...

_Kyuubi...what is this?_ He breathes, still staring down at himself.

_**I said I'd help you, didn't I? I never said I was going to fight this battle for you. This way, you can have my chakra and I can rest. Now leave me alone, brat.**_

Naruto is immediately kicked out of the conversation. Even when he dug, he couldn't reach the Fox. _So...this means that...this is the kyuubi's chakra when his mind doesn't tag along. _He realizes. _I'm still in my right mind...even with so much of his power!_

Naruto's smile broadens and he shakes his head in disbelief. _I never thought this was possible..._Then, squaring back off to the demon, he snickers, confidently. "Alright, Chiasa, you old hag!" He looks up at the Fox who looked completely bored, with his eyes shut. "Looks like the kyuubi is back on my side! So you're screwed!"

_**-xXx-**_

Sakura watches with a tight expression as Naruto bolts forward. In a flash, he is next to Chiasa's summon, pounding a fist into the lizard-like creature's head. It screams in fury and twists around, slamming its claws across Naruto's stomach. The blonde flips around, his hand moving to his stomach only to find it untouched. He grins, smugly and dives into a kick to the demon's body.

_Naruto, _Her fists tighten. _Why..._

Naruto sidesteps to avoid another of the demon's blows, his leg getting a minor clip but remiaining uninjured. He draws a kunai and slices at the huge beast.

_Why aren't you..._

He jumps away, suddenly appearing behind Chiasa. The lizard demon howls in anger and scrambles toward him. But Naruto doesn't take his chance to attack the old witch. Instead, he tenses and waits for the demon.

_Why aren't you attacking Chiasa?_ Sakura's fists were shaking from the intensity of the battle. She wanted to yell to her teammate to fight Chiasa. She thought that much was obvious. If you defeat her, the summon will dissapear. So why wasn't he...?

"COME AND GET IT!" Naruto shouts as he vanishes, reappearing further away. Now he was positied between the Fox and Chiasa. His eyes were hard as he waits for the demon to catch up.

It howls again and strikes out with its long, leathery tail. Naruto dodges with ease, landing a bit closer to his opponents.

_What are you doing?_ Sakura demands, silently.

_**-xXx-**_

_** What, exactly, are you planning?**_ Kyuubi asks, curiously.

_Did you see the way that thing acted when I got close to Chiasa?_ Naruto says, cryptically.

_**Not in particular.**_ He admits.

_He definately doesn't want me close to her._ Naruto tells him, remembering the way the summon had turned quickly and tried to attack him. _I know I need to defeat Chiasa but, with that thing around, it won't be easy..._

_**So?**_

_So I'm gonna need to seperate them. I figure...if I release you from Chiasa, you can distract the lizard while I handle Chiasa._ He explains.

_**And what makes you think I'll do that? Especially if you release me, I might just go back to destroying your precious little village!**_ The kyuubi roars.

_You won't._ Naruto says. Suddenly, he was transported into his inner world. The Fox was towering over him with gleaming, crimson eyes.

_**I am starting to regret siding with you, you arrogant brat! **_He snarls, furiously.

_You want to get rid of her as much as I do!_ Naruto shouts in frusteration. _So why are you being so difficult?!_

_**I oughta kill you right now, you pathetic excuse for a host!**_

_Fox-_

_**In fact, I think that's a good idea. If I kill you, then I'll be free to-**_

_FOX!_

_**WHAT?! **_

Naruto takes a step forward, his blue eyes blazing in the dim light. Manipulating the fact that this is his own world, he floats up to meet the Fox's gaze to glare into his eyes. _I'm gonna free you now. But, I swear to God, if you hurt anyone...I won't hesitate to kill you myself._

Before the Fox can respond, the inner conversation is broken and they are both transported back to the real world. Naruto continues to lead the demon away from his master, darting and dodging the various blows. With a single jump, the blonde backflips away from the demon, landing on the other side of the kyuubi.

With a furious snarl, the summon unleashes another round of swings. Its tail slamming onto the ground just inches behind Naruto.

"Huff, huff, huff..." Naruto pants, heavily from the strain of maintaining the Fox's chakra and dodging the huge demon's attacks. He flips one more time, landing on the chains that bind him to the witch. Forcing a smirk to taunt the beast, he tenses for his enemy's attack.

_This better work...I'm almost out of chakra...!_

The demon coils back its tail and lets it lose, slicing through the air directly toward Naruto.


	18. The Hero Has Fallen!

_**Chapter Eighteen**_

_**A/N:**_ Hardest. Chapter. Ever. Seriously, I had the WORST time trying to write this one! I don't know why but it just turned out TERRIBLE! Sorry TT_TT And also, sorry about the enourmously long wait for this chapter! AH! I had relatives over and they kept me pretty busy XD

_SMASH!_

The misty, black chains snap under the weight of the demon's tail. Instantly, the Fox is freed. He jumps to his feet and leaps away, snarling furiously at Chiasa and her summon. But, almost as soon as he comprehends his freedom, a sense of dred slams through him. Like a sharp knife twisting through his chest.

_What the...?_ The world tips harshly, red spraying across Naruto's vision as he slowly falls backward. He slams to the ground, feeling an odd warmth spread across his stomach and chest.

"NARUTO!" Sakura screams in terror. She starts running, pumping her legs as fast as they will possibly carry her.

He knew something was wrong...he could hear it in her voice. _I hope...she's not hurt or...anything..._He says to himself, vaugly wondering why his vision was so dimmed. Just then, a fit of violent coughs wrack his body. He feels something filling his lungs, and then his throat. The coppery taste of blood spills into his mouth and he chokes, trying to spit out the vile flavor. _Huh...that's weird..._He thinks, numbly.

"Naruto!" Sakura kneels beside him. Her strong, yet tender hands press against his stomach. "Oh no..."

"W-wha...?" Naruto was shocked to hear the broken, pained voice. Who had spoken just now? He tries again. "Sak-ura?" There it was again! Oh wait...that was his voice. Things just kept getting weirder and weirder... "Wh-what's...wrong?" He asks. "Why're yo-u c-crying?" He stammers, noticing the trails of water spilling down her cheeks.

"Don't..." She says, shaking her head. "Don't talk, save your energy."

_For what?_ He wonders. _I freed the kyuubi, right? So what do I need to-_

"AGHH!" Naruto cries out in agony. The scream rips from his throat without his consent, leaving him wondering why he'd done it. He couldn't feel a thing, so why scream in pain?

Sakura tries, in vain, to heal the dying boy. But his body was convulsing as it went into panic mode. He was loosing too much blood, at this rate...he would bleed to death in seconds. She pushes more chakra into the gaping slash wound across his chest and stomach. It doesn't even budge...

_Naruto...! Please! PLEASE DON'T DIE!_

_**-xXx-**_

_** Naruto...you pathetic whelp...what do you think you're doing?**_

___Kyuubi...?_

_**Getting cut down by the likes of that insignificant beast?**_

___What are you...talking about?_

_**You had better be grateful to the Fourth...I cannot exist outside your body in this state...and I do not intend on dying just yet...**_

___What do you-?_

_**-xXx-**_

__Sakura doesn't even notice the Fox spinning around to strike out at Chiasa with his back paws and powerful tails. The old woman gasps, trying to avoid to onslaught but fails. The bijuu's tails slam over her and pin her to the ground, pressing the breath out of her.

"Come on, Naruto! Hang in there..." She urges as she continues to heal him.

She misses the sudden surge of ninja flooding the battlefield. They surround the Fox, watching in confusion as he begins to turn transparent.

_**-xXx-**_

___Kyuubi, what's happening? _Naruto asks, drearily.

_**I am returning to your body. Chiasa has been defeated. **_

___To my...body? _

_**Yes. That's how it works. She had expected you to die and for me to be under her perminant control. But since you lived, I am still attached to your body.**_

___I-AGH! _Naruto flinches in pain. _What's going on?!_

_**You were hurt by Chiasa's demon and you're bleeding pretty badly.**_

___I what?! He gasps._

_**Just relax. **_Kyuubi grumbles, irritably. _**Once I'm sealed again, I can heal you.**_

_**-xXx-**_

__Sakura recoils as steam begins to lift from the wound. Naruto's skin turns red-hot and he gasps in pain, his head snapping back and grinding into the dirt. _What's-_ Only then does she notice that the Fox is almost completely invisible now. _What's happening?_ She wonders, timidly placing her hands back over gaping slash, only to get burned again. "Huh?!" Her hands come away clean. No blood is left on them.

"Did the kyuubi just-?!"


	19. Time Will Tell

_**Chapter Nineteen**_

_**A/N: Sorry about a short chapter this time. But it's the last chaper so...I HOPE YOU LIKED IT!**_

"Did the kyuubi just..." Sakura stares at the spot where the Fox had dissapeared, seemingly, into thin air. In a large crater, surrounded by cracked stone and debris, is Chiasa. All the air, and possibly her life, crushed out of her by the kyuubi's massive body.

The rosette's jade eyes turn back to Naruto. He already looked better than seconds before. There was a bit of color in his face again and his wound had stopped bleeding. The gaping, bloody inury now sizzled with chakra as it begins to close.

"Did the kyuubi just...save Naruto?" She breathes. But why? The Nine Tails hated Naruto, didn't he? Constantly trying to possess his body and break free? Manipulating Naruto's fears and weaknesses to overpower him? So why now? Why would the Fox suddenly decide to _help_ Naruto?

The blonde's fingers twitch, slightly. A small moan, so quiet that Sakura barely heard it, escapes his lips.

"Naruto?" She asks, leaning a little closer.

He groans again, cracking open one of his eyes. "Hey..." He whispers, chuckling weakly. "Did we win?"

Sakura frowns. He really had a one-track mind, that's for sure. "Yes, we won."

"That's a relief..." He sighs before letting his eyes close again and embracing sleep once more.

_**-xXx-**_

___Drip...drip...drip..._

A little smile toys on the edges of his lips, even before he opens his eyes. He already knew where he was. The feeling of the murky, dark water soaking his pants and shoes didn't bother him this time. Neither did the dank smell or the relentless dripping sounds of water in the distance.

He starts walking, tracing the same path he'd walked a dozen times before. Sloshing through the corridors at a jog. He was in a hurry to make sure his suspicion was right because, even though he wasn't happy about once again being the Jinchuuriki, there _was_ one thing he was glad about.

In a matter of seconds, he rounds the corner and enters the huge chamber. A set of iron bars seperate him from a snarling beast on the other side. "Hey! Kyuubi!" He calls, eagerly.

A pair of crimson eyes slide open. **"What is it, brat?"** He grumbles.

Naruto smirks and folds his arms. An arrogant twinkle in his eyes. "You saved me." He says, matter-of-factly.

**"No, really?"**

"Why?" Naruto asks, leaning forward as if to show off the fact he was still breathing.

**"I told you. I can't live outside your body yet. The process was done wrong. That's the only reason I saved you!"** The Fox snarls.

"Oh yeah?" Naruto shifts his weight. "Well...even so. Thanks."

**"There is no reason to thank me! I didn't want to help you!"**

"But you did. The only reason I'm alive now is because of you." Naruto says. There was an odd...warmth in his voice. One the kyuubi had only ever heard him use when he was around his friends. It was weird hearing here.

**"Tsk..."** The kyuubi was short on words now. Why was the brat acting as if he'd saved him on purpose?

"So thank you." Naruto chirps as he turns away.

**"Hmph, don't get used to it."**

As Naruto's body vanishes from the chamber, kyuubi lowers his head back to floor, leaning it against his paws. Suddenly, a hint of humor enters his expression. **"That Naruto...he is truly a moron..."**

_I wonder if, someday, we could be friends too?_

**"Don't count on it, kid...but..."**

_** I've seen you preform greater miracles in our time together so...maybe it isn't impossible...I guess time will tell if we could really be friends.**_

_**A/N: Sorry if you didn't like the ending :( I know it might have been kind of anti climactic but...you know. That's just how the cookie crumbles when you have writer's block. Sorry!**_


End file.
